A Little Change Of Pace

SALEM, Ore.– In preparation for what’s to possibly to come with the courts of Pacific University and Forest Grove High Schools if they win Saturday, the North Marion Lady Huskies made a nice little trip to Corban University in Salem to change things up.

The court length, about ten feet longer than theirs in Aurora, will come useful in the psychology and mental preparations of them of what is possibly is to come after their home game versus Henley Saturday night.

“If we’re going to press and be pressed we got to be able to handle the length, especially if we’re going to press, we got a lot more to cover,” said Head Coach Trevor Bodine. “Kids got to get used to it, the biggest court we’ve played on this year was Cascade. I believe Forest Grove has a full-length court, college court and I know Pacific does.

“If we play at Pacific we need to be able to handle that. It’s a lot of mental, it seems bigger when you get out there, you just got to be ready for it.”

Lindy Wing (far left) looking to go up for a lay-up during Monday’s practice (Picture By Jeremy McDonald)

With it been almost a week since their last game, their regular season finale versus Cascade, these minor mental adversities will give the North Marion Girls a little refresher to stay sharp and focus as they have another few days before their Saturday game.

During the start of practice, you saw how much the court challenged the girls physically and mentally; but by the end of practice, they looked as if they were practicing at their home court.

“At first it seems like it was a really big difference, but towards the end of practice it got easier,” said Kyia Brooks.

“I think we’re adjusting pretty well, our court is a lot shorter than at Corban and I think it’s good for us to practice (on) because Cascade I think is a little bigger than ours so,” said Emily Scanlan. “I think practicing on a court like Corban’s helps us adjust than on a smaller court.”

They’ll be on home grounds on Tuesday and Wednesday before taking to the court at Corban one more time Thursday as the game versus the Hornets (16-7, 7-3 Skyline Conference) at 3pm Saturday at home.

What’s my line again?

If you’ve played sports before, you know the hard work that goes into it. But how about adding doing acting in plays with memorizing lines and where to be in each scene as well on top of homework and the demands of athletics?

Hard to imagine to do all of that right and still keep sane right?

Kyia Brooks smiling during practice at Corban University Monday (Picture By Jeremy McDonald)

Somehow Kyia Brooks and Bethany Dron are managing making it all work.

Dron, who’s been acting since sixth grade and playing basketball since eighth grade, said it’s getting your priorities right with both.

“Sometimes important things seem to clash, like you have a play and you have a big game coming up,” “It kinds of tears you, you don’t know…you just have to compromise with your coach and your drama director.

“Be like, ‘here’s the deal, I love both these things’ and like how can I make these work. Sometimes, say, you have mandatory one thing and the other things isn’t, just kind of do whatever’s important for that day and just kind of power through and make sure you keep staying happy and doing what you love.”

Brooks said it’s a daily struggle to do both, but the commitment and the fun in doing it makes it easier to make it work.

“It’s kind of a struggle because we’ll have to go straight from basketball practice right to drama and then head home do all of our homework.,” said Brooks. “So the commitment, you have to be really committed to be able to do it.

“But it’s really fun and it’s really worth it because, to see the outcome with our events and stuff; it’s really worth it to go through all of the long nights like that.”

But hey, there’s different reasons behind it. Brooks points to the love of it and Dron points to the enjoyment of both as you get to express yourself in different aspects; or ‘haves’ as Dron calls it.

“They’re different kinds of enjoyment,” said Dron. “Like Drama, it feels pretty good to just kind of…especially being yourself pretending to be other people, other characters; but basketball, it just feels good to get out there and work really hard and working all the energy. It’s two different kinds of haves at the same place.”

Follow Jeremy McDonald on Twitter at @J_McDonald81 or like jmcdonaldmedia on Facebook!